Organophosphate compounds flame retardants

Organophosphoms compounds, primarily phosphonic acids, are used as sequestrants, scale inhibitors, deflocculants, or ion-control agents in oil wells, cooling-tower waters, and boiler-feed waters. Organophosphates are also used as plasticizers and flame retardants in plastics and elastomers, which accounted for 22% of PCl consumed. Phosphites, in conjunction with Hquid mixed metals, such as calcium—zinc and barium—cadmium heat stabilizers, function as antioxidants and stabilizer adjutants. In 1992, such phosphoms-based chemicals amounted to slightly more than 6% of all such plastic additives and represented 8500 t of phosphoms. Because PVC production is expected to increase, the use of phosphoms additive should increase 3% aimually through 1999. 

Organophosphate flame retardants and plasticisers Perfluorinated compounds Pharmaceuticals and personal care products Polar pesticides and their degradation/transformation products Surfactants and their metabolites... 

By acting as char formers, as phosphorous flame retardants do. They are also subdivided into nonhalogenated organophosphate esters, ammonium polyphosphate, and others. When heated, they produce a solid form of phosphoric acid that in turn chars the material and shields it from releasing of flammable gases feeding flames. Phosphorous flame retardants account for about 20% of flame retardants in the industry (mainly not with polyolefins). Boron compounds also work as char formers [2]. 

Relatively Httle is known about industrial organophosphates, such as triphenyl phosphate, trioctyl phosphate, and tris(chloropropyl) phosphate. These compounds are used as plasticizers and flame retardants and are likely to reach the marine environment. Six organophosphates were detected in the water of Osaka Bay in concentrations ranging from 0.1 pg/1 to 1.3 pg/1. The compounds tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate and tributyl phosphate were the most abundant [144]. 

There is an evolving concern about the use of some particular organophosphates such as tricresyl phosphate, tri-n-butyl phosphate, and triphenyl phosphate [94,108-110]. Animal studies have shown that these phosphate esters can cause allergies, learning problems, and deterioration in sperm production and can influence the white and red blood cell counts of humans [109]. In a recent publication [110], levels of flame retardants in indoor air at electronics scrap recycling plant and other work environments were considered 15 brominated FRs and 9 organophosphorus compounds were analyzed. Although the measured concentrations found in all... 

Other flame retardant materials in use include ammonium polyphosphate, organophosphates (112), bromoaromatic phosphates, red phosphorus, aluminum oxide trihydrate, antimony oxide, melamine, and synergistic combinations of two or more of these (110,111). Currently, people are focusing more on phosphorous containing compounds relative to halogens (113-115). The percentage of each of these materials in use today, based on dollar value, is given in Table 14.9. 

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